After some days
-The number of days is not known.
Jesus probably remained long enough in the desert to heal the sick
who were brought to him, and to give instructions to the multitudes
who attended his preaching. Capernaum was not "the city" mentioned
in Mark 1:45, and it is probable that there
was no difficulty in his remaining there and preaching.

And it was noised ...
-He entered the city, doubtless,
privately; but his being there was soon known, and so great had his
popularity become that multitudes pressed to hear him.

Mark 2:2 "And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them."

So much as about the
door -In the "court" or "yard" before
the door. They could not get near enough to hear him.

Preached the word unto
them -The word of God; the revelation
or doctrine which he came to deliver, called "the Word," and "the
Word of God," because it was spoken or revealed by God. Compare
Acts 6:2-7.

Mark 2:4 "And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay."

The press -The crowd, the multitude of people. Jesus was
probably in the large open area or hall in the center of the house.
See the notes at Matthew 9:2. The people
pressed into the area, and blocked up the door so that they could
not have access to him.

When they had broken it
up -When they had removed the awning
or covering, so that they could let the man down. See the notes at
Matthew 9:2.

Mark 2:5 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."

Their faith
-Their confidence or belief that he
could heal them.

Son -Literally, "child." The Hebrews used the words "son" and
"child" with a great latitude of signification. They were applied
to children, to grandchildren, to adopted children, to any
descendants, to disciples, followers, young people, and to
dependents. See the notes at Matthew 1:1.
In this place it denotes affection or kindness. It was a word of
consolation - an endearing appellation, applied by the Saviour to
the sick man to show his "compassion," to inspire confidence, and
to assure him that he would heal him.

We never saw it on this
fashion -Literally, "We never saw it
so." We never saw anything like this.

Mark 2:13 "And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them."

By the sea-side
-That is, by the Sea of Tiberias, on
the shore of which Capernaum was situated. See the notes at Matthew 4:13.

Mark 2:14 "And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him."

Levi, the son of
Alpheus -The same, undoubtedly, as
"Matthew," the writer of the gospel which bears his name. It was
not uncommon among the Jews to have two names.

Mark 2:15 "And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him."

Sat at meat in the
house -The words "at meat" are not in
the original. The phrase means "as he reclined at his meal," or "as
he was eating." This feast was made by Matthew in honor of the
Saviour. See Luke 5:29.

Sinners -Sinners of abandoned character - of the same
character that publicans commonly sustained - fit companions of
publicans - great sinners.

There were many
-That is, many "disciples." Their
following him, leaving their homes, and going with him from place
to place, was proof of their attachment to him. There is no doubt
that our Saviour, in the early part of his ministry, was extremely
popular. Multitudes of the common people attended him, and gave
conclusive evidence that they were his real disciples, and it was
only after much opposition from the rich and the great that he ever
became unpopular among the people. Perhaps no preacher has ever
attracted so universal attention, and produced so decisive effects
upon mankind, as did our Lord in his personal ministry.

Mark 2:16-17 "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Mark 2:18 "And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?"

And the disciples of
John and of the Pharisees used to fast -Were accustomed often to fast. Compare Luke
5:33; Luke 18:12.

And they come and say
-The disciples of John come, (Matthew 9:4).

Mark 2:19-22 "And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles."

The cornfields
-The fields sown with wheat or barley.
The word "corn," in the Bible, refers only to grain of that kind,
and never to "maize" or "Indian corn."

To pluck the ears of
corn -They were hungry, (Matthew 12:1). They therefore gathered the wheat or
barley as they walked and rubbed it in their hands to shell it, and
thus to satisfy their appetite. Though our Lord was with them, and
though he had all things at his control, yet he suffered them to
resort to this method of supplying their wants. When Jesus, thus
"with" his disciples, suffered them to be "poor," we may learn that
poverty is not disgraceful; that God often suffers it for the good
of his people; and that he will take care, in some way, that their
wants shall be supplied. It was "lawful" for them thus to supply
their needs. Though the property belonged to another, yet the law
of Moses allowed the poor to satisfy their desires when hungry. See
Deuteronomy 23:25.

Mark 2:24 "And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?"

That which is not
lawful -That is, that which they
esteemed to be unlawful on the "Sabbath day." It was made lawful by
Moses, without any distinction of days, but "they" had denied its
lawfulness on the Sabbath. Christ shows them from their own law
that it was "not" unlawful.

Mark 2:25 "And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?"

Mark 2:26 "How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?"

Abiathar the priest
-From 1 Samuel
21:1, it appears that Ahimelech was high priest at the time
here referred to. And from 1 Samuel 23:6,
it appears that "Abiathar" was the son of "Ahimelech." Some
difficulty has been felt in reconciling these accounts. The
probable reason as to why Mark says it was in the days of
"Abiathar" is that Abiathar was better known than Ahimelech. The
son of the high priest was regarded as his successor, and was often
associated with him in the duties of his office. It was not
improper, therefore, to designate him as high priest even during
the life of his father, especially as that was the name by which he
was afterward known. "Abiathar," moreover, in the calamitous times
when David came to the throne, left the interest of Saul and fled
to David, bringing with him the ephod, one of the special garments
of the high priest. For a long time, during David's reign, he was
high priest, and it became natural, therefore, to associate "his"
name with that of David; to speak of David as king, and Abiathar
the high priest of his time. This will account for the fact that he
was spoken of rather than his father. At the same time this was
strictly true, that this was done in the days of "Abiathar," who
was afterward high priest, and was familiarly spoken of as such; as
we say that "General" Washington was present at the defeat of
Braddock and saved his army, though the title of "General" did not
belong to him until many years afterward. Compare the notes at
Luke 2:2.

Mark 2:27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:"

The sabbath was made
for man -For his rest from toil, his
rest from the cares and anxieties of the world, to give him an
opportunity to call off his attention from earthly concerns and to
direct it to the affairs of eternity. It was a kind provision for
man that he might refresh his body by relaxing his labors; that he
might have undisturbed time to seek the consolations of religion to
cheer him in the anxieties and sorrows of a troubled world; and
that he might render to God that homage which is most justly due to
him as the Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and Redeemer of the
world. And it is easily capable of proof that no institution has
been more signally blessed to man's welfare than the Sabbath. To
that we owe, more than to anything else, the peace and order of a
civilized community. Where there is no Sabbath there is ignorance,
vice, disorder, and crime. On that holy day the poor and the
ignorant, as well as the learned, have undisturbed time to learn
the requirements of religion, the nature of morals, the law of God,
and the way of salvation. On that day man may offer his praises to
the Great Giver of all good, and in the sanctuary seek the blessing
of him whose favor is life. Where that day is observed in any
manner as it should be, order prevails, morals are promoted, the
poor are elevated in their condition, vice flies away, and the
community puts on the appearance of neatness, industry, morality,
and religion. The Sabbath was therefore pre-eminently intended for
man's welfare, and the best interests of mankind demand that it
should be sacredly regarded as an appointment of merciful heaven
intended for our best good, and, where improved aright, infallibly
resulting in our temporal and eternal peace.

Not man for the sabbath
-Man was made "first," and then the
Sabbath was appointed for his welfare, (Genesis
2:1-3). The Sabbath was not "first" made or contemplated,
and then the man made with reference to that. Since, therefore, the
Sabbath was intended for man's "good," the law respecting it must
not be interpreted so as to oppose his real welfare. It must be
explained in consistency with a proper attention to the duties of
mercy to the poor and the sick, and to those in peril. It must be,
however, in accordance with man's "real good on the whole," and
with the law of God. The law of God contemplates man's "real good
on the whole;" and we have no right, under the plea that the
Sabbath was made for man, to do anything contrary to what the law
of God admits. It would not be for our "real good," but for our
real and eternal injury, to devote the Sabbath to vice, to labor,
or to amusement.